STAR CITY, July 8. /TASS/. US and Japanese astronauts Kjell N. Lindgren and Kimiya Yui have been officially approved as new crew members to fly to the International Space Station on July 23, a spokesman for the Russian Cosmonaut Training Centre told TASS on Wednesday.

"The prime and backup crews of the new ISS expedition have been approved," the spokesman said.

Russian veteran cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, who has already made two spaceflights and conducted three spacewalks, will lead the crew.